Method for estimating correction angles in a radar sensor for motor vehicles

Abstract

A method for estimating correction angles in a radar sensor for motor vehicles, by which method a correction angle that considers a misalignment of the radar sensor is calculated by a statistical evaluation of positioning data that were recorded by the radar sensor. The positioning angle range of the radar sensor is subdivided into multiple sectors. The statistical evaluation of the positioning data for the different sectors is performed separately for the different sectors so that an individual correction angle is obtained for each sector.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for a radar sensor for motor vehicles, the method comprising:
 with respect to each of at least one direction, calculating a plurality of correction angles for a misalignment of the radar sensor, the plurality of correction angles being different than one another, the calculating being performed by, for each of a plurality of angular sub-ranges of a beamwidth of the radar sensor in the respective direction:
 obtaining a respective set of positioning data recorded by the radar sensor in the respective angular sub-range; 
 statistically evaluating the respective set of positioning data that were recorded by the radar sensor in the respective angular sub-range; 
 based on the respective statistical evaluation performed for the respective angular sub-range, determining a respective value of a misalignment of the radar sensor; and 
 determining a respective one of the plurality of correction angles for the respective angular sub-range based on the respective value of the misalignment determined for the respective angular sub-range. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 obtaining an object position measurement of the radar sensor regarding a sensed object; 
 depending on a positional relationship of (i) an angular location within the beamwidth that is associated with the object position measurement to (ii) the plurality of angular sub-ranges, selecting at least one of the plurality of correction angles; and 
 based on the selection, correcting the object position measurement using the selected at least one of the plurality of correction angles. 
 
     
     
       3. The method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the selected at least one of the plurality of correction angles includes multiple ones of the plurality of correction angles, and the correction of the object position measurement regarding the sensed object includes an interpolation of the multiple ones of the plurality of correction angles. 
     
     
       4. The method as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the multiple ones of the plurality of correction angles include (i) one of the plurality of correction angles which has been determined for a first one of the angular sub-ranges in which a position of the object position measurement is located and (ii) another of the plurality of correction angles which has been determined for a second one of the angular sub-ranges, which is adjacent to the first one of the angular sub-ranges. 
     
     
       5. The method as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the other of the plurality of correction angles is selected based on a nearness of the position of the object position measurement to the second one of the angular sub-ranges. 
     
     
       6. A method for estimating correction angles in a radar sensor for motor vehicles, the method comprising:
 calculating a correction angle that takes a misalignment of the radar sensor into account by statistically evaluating positioning data that were recorded by the radar sensor; 
 wherein:
 a positioning angle range of the radar sensor is subdivided into multiple different sectors, and the statistical evaluation of the positioning data is carried out separately for the different sectors so that an individual correction angle is obtained for each sector; 
 an angle-dependent portion of a systematic angle error of the radar sensor is stored for each of the different sectors; and 
 when the stored angle-dependent portion is the same for two or more of the different sectors, the subdivision into the different sectors is modified in such a way that sectors for which a value is the same are combined to form to a larger sector. 
 
 
     
     
       7. The method as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the angle-dependent portion of the systematic angle errors is determined using the correction angles calculated in the course of the method.